


2. Throw Away This Mask

by Vera



Series: Paradesi [2]
Category: Chuck (TV)
Genre: Character of Color, Collection: Purimgifts Day 2, Community: 12in2010, Community: purimgifts, Gen, Jewish Character, Women Being Awesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-22
Updated: 2010-02-22
Packaged: 2017-10-07 11:26:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/64706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vera/pseuds/Vera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hannah sees Lester for who he really is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	2. Throw Away This Mask

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Roga](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Roga/gifts).



_"It will work," Jeff insisted, "You don't look Jewish. Ahasarah will think you're the most beautiful and choose you for her husband."_

"It will never work." Lester slumped sadly on the Nerd Herd counter. "It's a crazy plan."

Craftiness crept up Jeff's face and sparkled in his eyes, "So crazy it just might work?"

For a moment Lester's face brightened. Everyone knew that truly crazy plans always worked! He re-slumped. This plan wasn't that crazy.

"But Lester, you know Morganhaman has plans for the Nerd Herd that don't include us. We need strategy. We need Ahasarah. She'll tell Chuck what to do and Morganhaman is Chuck's minion! You've got to do this, man." Jeff paused, knowing his next words would make or break the plan. "You've got to do it for your people," Jeff slapped his fist into the palm of his other hand for emphasis, "for the Nerds," - slap! - for Jeffster!" Slap!

It worked! Lester was sitting up, eyes bright and narrowed, his cunning brain engaged, like a hamster in a treadmill. Jeff shook his hand out behind his back and mouthed, "Ow."

"You're right! You're right, Jeff. I have to do it for us. I have to sacrifice myself to a loveless marriage to a foolish, yet exceptionally hot tyrant for the good of my people!" Lester grasped Jeff by his upper arms and looked into his eyes, face burning with fervour, " I'll do it for you!"

"Lester --"

"Lester. Lester! Wake up. Are you asleep?"

Lester shot up from his position slumped over the Nerd Herd desk, eyes goggling and lips dry, on customer service autopilot. "How can I help -- Oh Hannah," his voice slid from helpful customer service minion to over-familiar, "Hi! How you doin'?"

Hannah laughed like flowers, he thought.

"I'm doing very well, thank you."

He saw she was carrying a wide basket filled with small, cellophane-wrapped boxes of candy and holding one box out to him.

"But how did you know?" Lester asked, remembering last Diwali when the Nerd Herd threw a Festival of Lights party, complete with miles of festooning and Bollywood movies on all the screens in the store. They refused to believe it wasn't his celebration. In the end he'd given up trying to explain. A party is a party, after all.

Hannah laughed, "_Chag sameach_, Lester." She pressed the basket of candy into his hands, pulled a dreidl out of her pocket, spun it on the counter and walked away. He watched it spin to a stop. _Shin_.

"Hannah, wait."

She stopped and turned around. So did all the Buy More staff within earshot.

"Thank you." Lester waved the box slightly, trying to indicate _for this, and more_. "Thank you."  


_This image is from a stamp commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Paradesi Synagogue in Kerala, the oldest in India._


End file.
